Yoga for Eyes

Yoga practitioners lay a lot of emphasis to eye exercises, for two reasons.



First of all, a lot of eye problems in later life are due to a loss of tone in the eye muscles. These muscles tend to become rigid, and the subsequent loss of elasticity decreases the ability of the lens of the eye to focus at different distances. It also results in weaker eyesight.

These eye exercises tone up the eye muscles up and keep them elastic. If you already have eye problems when you start these exercises, you will find your eyesight improve within a few months.

Secondly, eye tension produces a general feeling of tension all over the body. This is due to the eye's connection to the brain via the optic nerve.



What happens is that eye tension generates an increase in the nerve impulses of the eye muscles. This increase in nerve impulses passes through the optic nerve and bombards the brain. This causes a general feeling of tension and anxiety. Yoga eye exercises reduce tension in the eye muscles, as well as reduce general tension.

Best do these eye exercises lying down and after asana session. This way you're resting after the asanas and doing the eye exercises simultaneously.



This reduces the time taken to do your Yoga routine. When doing the eye exercises it is important to keep your eyes open and not move your head.

Steps for Yoga for Eyes

First, raise your eyes and find a small point that you can see clearly. Do this without straining, without frowning, without becoming tense and, above all, without moving your head. While doing this exercise make sure to look at this point every time you raise your eyes.

Next, lower your eyes to a small point on the floor that you can see clearly down. Gaze at it each time you lower your eyes. Your breath should be normal; in other words, you don't have to do deep breathing.

Exercise # 1

Move your eyes up as far as you can. Then move them downwards as far as you can. Repeat this four more times. Then blink rapidly a few times to relax the eye muscles.

Exercise # 2

Do the above exercise using points to your right and left, but at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on either side as guides. Adjust them in such a way that that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left. However, you must do this without straining.

Keeping your fingers at eye level move only the eyes and look to the right at your chosen point. Then look to the left. Repeat this exercise four times. Blink a few times then close your eyes and rest for a while.

Exercise # 3

Select a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them. Choose another one that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing your eyelids. Don’t forget to retain your original posture – spine erect, hands on your knees, head straight and motionless.

Stare at your chosen point in the right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat this exercise four times. Blink several times, then close the eyes and rest. Now do the same on the reverse side, i.e., first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat this four times, blink several times, then close the eyes and rest.

Benefits of Yoga eye exercises

The above exercise will help rid you of eye strain, and tension. Your vision will get better and clearer over a period of time. This is because the ophthalmic, or eye, nerves will receive a richer supply of blood. Some people use these exercises to improve their vision.